Tampa Bay Lightning bench boss Jon Cooper won the 2026 Jack Adams Award as the NHL's coach of the year, the league announced Wednesday.
Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff and Pittsburgh Penguins' Dan Muse were the other two finalists.
It's Cooper's first time winning the award despite being considered one of the league's top coaches for over a decade. He was previously a finalist in 2014 and 2019.
Cooper guided the Lightning to a 50-26-6 record even though the team dealt with multiple key absences throughout the course of the season. Captain Victor Hedman missed 49 games and No. 1 center Brayden Point was sidelined for 19 contests. Top defensive shutdown pair Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak were also out a combined 55 games.
The award is voted on by members of the NHL's broadcasters' association.
